I'm just a bathroom singer

Miss Tan Yanhua was a breath of fresh air as she ripped through covers of Jam Hsiao's Survive and Xiao Huang Qi's The Last Train with emotive power in her signature lower register.

The Nanyang Academy Of Fine Arts student was one of the standouts in the final audition of Project Superstar 2014, the Chinese reality TV singing competition that made a comeback last Saturday after a hiatus of eight years.

Miss Tan, 22, told The New Paper: "I was a bathroom singer who realised that singing is my passion.

"Waiting eight years for this is a long time and I hope people like my voice because I feel it's unique."

She added: "It's really difficult to enter the music industry in Singapore."

This is her first TV singing competition.

Miss Tan, who also hopes to be a fashion designer with her own brand, feels that many Singaporeans are wary of bright colours. And if she has her way, she would love to liven up their lives with radiant hues.

"Don't be afraid of matching things like stripes with polka dots," she said.

"For me, I like to wear a bright top with a dull bottom, which is my style of streetwear."

'I MAY LOOK FIERCE, BUT...'

"With the clothes I wear and my make-up, I may look fierce, but I hope people can take me for who I am. I'm actually a very cheerful person who likes making friends."

Project Superstar 2014 marks her 10th such competition in the last five years.

Her previous outings include Youth Box Stars, Kovan Superstar, K-duet, Stardust and two contests organised by local Chinese radio stations UFM 100.3 and Y.E.S 93.3.

She is determined to do all that it takes to become a full-fledged Mandopop artist. The Temasek Polytechnic student gained exposure in March when Razor TV featured her singing in a video clip and said that she could be the next Stefanie Sun.

The baby-faced singer has released an EP with three Mandopop songs - OOTD, If I'm Not That Kind Of Girl and Rebound.

Miss Yeo, who is studying veterinary technology, said: "I'm the kind of person who won't say anything if I'm upset with someone. So I find that when I sing, I can let all of these feelings out.

"When I'm fatigued from school, I turn to singing and it lifts me."

She said she was surprised to make the final 12, adding: "The contestants were all really good."

cchar@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 07, 2014. Get The New Paper for more stories.